Green Newton has been working to provide Newton with accessible, community-focused climate change solutions for over 35 years, working to make Newton residents feel like they have a hand in shaping a sustainable future.

The Impact of Individual Action

For many, the immensity of the climate crisis turns them away from taking climate action. But Alan Gordon, president of Green Newton, explained that taking action in spite of climate anxiety is exactly what will make a difference.

“For a lot of us—all generations—it can feel like you read a lot about climate gloom and doom, and it can feel like the future is bleak and that there’s not a lot we can do,” Gordon said. “I think that’s why it’s even more important for us now to take action.”

Dan Ruben, the chairman of Green Newton’s board of directors, emphasized Gordon’s point, saying that to combat climate change, all of us need to come together and take action.

“Drop the thinking that individuals aren’t important,” Ruben said. “In order for us to stabilize our climate and enable people of your generation to live long lives and thrive, it takes the government to change, it takes businesses to change, and it takes consumers to change.”

At Green Newton, its “grassroots” approach to protecting the planet stems from the community-based focus, according to Judy Jacobs, Green Newton’s executive director.

“I think the grassroots action and work is the most important part of how we can move toward protecting our climate and the environment,” Jacobs said. “So we work closely with many community groups and partners, and really that’s the way that we can be more effective.”

Even just through small lifestyle changes, Green Newton believes that any action can make an impact.

“People can make changes in what they do on a daily basis that will have a measurable impact,” Gordon said. “There are a lot of small changes that people can make that do make a measurable difference, and I think it’s important for Green Newton to advocate for the big changes and for the small changes, and that’s a lot of what we do.”

Green Newton supports all forms of individual advocacy, seeing them as equally impactful for greater change, Gordon explained.

“We can, as individuals, advocate for change at the local and state level—volunteer where we can—it’s always important to do these things, and I think it’s even more important now, and we can make a difference,” Gordon said.

Green Newton helps the city work toward climate action goals and also hosts an annual Earth Day Festival (Courtesy of Judy Jacobs)

Newton Sets the Standard

Within the commonwealth, Newton stands out as a leader in climate work, setting a high standard for nearby communities on how to approach maintaining a sustainable city, explained Gordon.

“Newton is generally viewed as one of the leading municipalities in some of these areas, and other communities look to us and want to learn from us,” Gordon said. “We set a good, high bar, and I think we set a good example.”

Gordon noted the plastic reduction act that Newton passed in 2023—the Sustainable Food Service Ware, Packaging, and Single Use Ordinance—as being a big example of the environmental wins that have set Newton apart from other cities.

“I don’t want to quite say the act is the most comprehensive of any municipality in Massachusetts, but it was pretty close, if not the most comprehensive,” Gordon said. “And I’ve spoken since then to a lot of other cities and towns in Massachusetts that are looking to do something similar, so this has had an impact and encouraged neighboring communities.”

Ruben also noted that while Newton is a leader in environmental policy, the local government itself has also made strides in reducing its own carbon footprint around City Hall.

“The city deserves credit,” Ruben said. “Many of the city buildings have taken on very strong energy efficiency measures … the city has done a good job at reducing its own carbon footprint … of course, they have a long way to go, but the City of Newton has set a very good example for other communities.”

The Path to Change Through Policy

While Newton has stood out as a leader in sustainability, Gordon emphasized that it is still important for Newtonians to keep pushing for local government action.

“It’s important for local advocacy to promote local government action and individual residential action on environmental issues,” Gordon said. “I think a lot of people feel that the actions they take won’t make a difference, and in fact, they can make a big difference.”

According to Jacobs, following city politics allows citizens to push for climate solutions to be codified into strong policy.

“Follow the city politics to make sure that we can also enact strong policies, because policies also affect how much work we can do together,” Jacobs said. “So collective action and strong policies would be really essential to think about and to work on.”

Green Newton works directly with the City of Newton in many ways, partnering with the city to broaden the reach of its programs and initiatives.

“We partner closely with the city on a number of issues and our programs,” Jacobs said. “(With) most of our programs, we work closely with the city, which helps the city because it gives the city more resources to be able to do more, and it helps us because it gives us greater breadth and outreach in the community.”

Rhia Sharma, Laura Nicolae and Rebecca Telio volunteer at Green Newton’s Earth Day Festival on May 3, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle